hospital-like 193 of the world. But Krugman is also an economist—a very good one—and the economics of what is proposed bear inspection.” John Cassidy, The New Yorker, Nov. 4, 2009 hold up to -bear the weight of holding back -withholding holding back feelin gs -reticent hole -aperture [technical] holiness -sanctity home -dwelling -habitat -abode homeland [This word has a fascist connotation ] -the country Homeland Securit y -National Security -Civil Defense homeless -destitute -dispossessed homelessness -destitution “Nightfall assembled them, as it did the stars. With nothing in common but their destitution, they mustered to sleep together in the Porch of Our Lord, cursing, insulting and jostling each other, picking quarrels with old enemies, or throwing earth and rubbish, even rolling on the ground and spitting and biting with rage.” Miguel Angel Asturias, The President honest -principled -forthright -candid honesty -veracity -candor -probity [academic] honor (to honor ) -pay homage to {HAW-mij} honorary -titular {TI-chuh-ler} (in title only) hooked or curved -aquiline hope -hold out the possibility that -trust that -aspire to hope to God that -God grant that you never hopeless -an exercise in futility -incorrigible -irredeemable -tilting at windmills hopeless act -fool’s errand hopelessly -irredeemably horizontal -prone -supine -recumbent hospital-like -utilitarian -institutional “Get some plaster, he said, propped up in the bed, which looked odd and institutional among the Persian rugs and Colonial
194 hostile furniture and dozens of antique clocks.” Paul Harding, Tinkers hostile -acrimonious hosting -playing host to hot -torrid -sultry -oppressive hot-tempered -irascible -choleric hour (IN AN HOUR) -in an hour’s time hover -loom↜⤕怕漕 -however did you -the way in which -the ╇╇╇ by which -the means whereby control of how are you not -how is it you’re not How can -how is it that “How is it that Americans, so solicitous of the animals they keep as pets, are so indifferent to the ones they cook for dinner? The answer cannot lie in the beasts themselves. Pigs, after all, are quite companionable, and dogs are said to be delicious.” Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, Nov. 9, 2009 how do I -how does one go about how do you expect her to -how is she to how do you explain -how to explain how do you mean -in what respect how far -to what extent how he does it -how he goes about it how it is (THAT’S HOW IT IS) -that’s the nature of the beast how it is done -as is standard practice when -it is the custom of how it will turn out -what may come of How man y╇╇╇do you have -how many ╇╇╇ have you how much -to what extent How should I take that -how am I to take that however -nevertheless -nonetheless -howbeit -howsoever -that said -then again -notwithstanding huge -beyond measure -immeasurable -monumental -commanding -elephantine -prodigious -ponderous huge amount of -torrent of
hypnotic 195 -considerable amount of -wealth of -host of -extensive amount of -goodly number of -fair amount of -fuming not a little -hordes of -profuse amount of -great many -litany of -galaxy of -legion of “The number of secretly gay anti-gay activists is legion.” huge thin g -leviathan Human Resources [incorrect usa ge] -people humble -unassuming -inglorious -innocuous -self-effacing -deferential humiliate -abase humiliating -ignominious {ig-nu-MIN-ee-us} -abject humiliation -indignity humor someone -indulge someone humorous -jesting -jocular hung out at -frequented -habituated “Years ago, my clique habituated a lower east-side restaurant called Hat (translated from El Sombrero for N.Y.C. natives). The enchiladas were O.K.; the main attractions were the cheap margaritas, the salsa jukebox and the nervy, unreasonable mood of the place, largely delivered by the indifferent Goth waitress who always wore an enormous black turban.” Cintra Wilson, New York Times, Nov. 3, 2009 hungry -ravenous -an appetite for -peckish (somewhat hungry) [British] -ravening {RAV-en-ing} -voracious hurry -hasten -must not linger -make haste hurt (feel pain ) -suffer -endure -pains me to -gives me much pain hurt (inflict pain ) -aggrieve -afflict hurt relations with -sour relations with hurting -feeling the sting hymen -maidenhead hypnotic -mesmeric
196 hypocrite hypocrite -a whited sepulcher {WHITE-ed SEP-ul-ker} hypothesi ze -theorize Ii I accept that -I am resigned to -I will allow that -I have come to terms with I accuse ! -J’accuse! {French, zhu-CUSE} [often playful in a melodramatic way] I admit that -I make no secret of -I will allow that -I will grant you -I recognize -I must come to terms with -by my own account I agree -yes, that it is -my sentiments exactly -I’m inclined to agree -I consent to -I subscribe to -I am of like mind -I will allow that -I am in support of -I have reached an accommodation -I am in complete accord I agree with╇╇╇╇╇╇╇ -I’m with ╇╇╇╇╇╇ on this I am -I remain I am afraid that it would -I fear it would I am goin g to -I have a mind to I am not here to defend -I’m no apologist for I am not sure if -it’s not clear to me whether I am proud of -they do me honor I am still youn g -I am young still I am sure -I have no doubt -of this I’m sure I am tellin g you -I tell you I be gan to cr y -I fell to crying [poetic] “And all at once, though I had remained dry-eyed through all the insults done me on board ship and through the hours of despair when I was alone on the waves with the captain lying dead at my feet, a handspike jutting from his eye-socket, I fell to crying.” J.M. Coetzee, Foe I believe the y would do that -I believe that of them I can think of man y ╇╇╇╇ -many ╇╇╇╇ come to mind I can use -I have use for “‘I can use dynamite,’ said the man with the carbine. He handed back the paper to Robert Jordan and looked him over. ‘Yes, I have use for dynamite. How much have you brought me.’” Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls I cannot -I regret that I cannot -normally I would be delighted, but
i have never 197 -it puts me in something of a dilemma -I remain unconvinced of the value of -I find that I cannot -your idea has merit, but I can ’t talk , because I’m just as guilt y -I’m not exactly in a position to criticize I could be wron g -nothing I have said is immune to scrutiny I did not -I had not the I did not know she did that -it happened unbeknownst to me I do not have -I have not the [poetic] I do not know -I cannot say I do not understand how -I cannot comprehend how i don ’t believe it -I find that hard to accept I don ’t care -it’s of no consequence to me -it’s a matter of indifference to me I don ’t have time for this -I’ve no time for this I don ’t have your sense of -I haven’t your sense of I don ’t know wh y -it is not at all clear why I don ’t like it -it’s not to my liking I don ’t like to -I take no pleasure in -I’m not one to I don’t like to complain. I’m not one to complain. I don ’t mean to -it is not my intention to I don ’t think it will work -I’m skeptical that it will work I don ’t think so -there is little to suggest that -I think not I don ’t want -I’m not comfortable with I encoura ge -it is to be encouraged -it is to be welcomed I felt -there came to me a I give you my word -here is my hand on it I have also seen -so have I seen I have been -I am “A dark shadow fell upon me, not of a cloud, but of a man with a dazzling halo about him. ‘Castaway,’ I said with my thick dry tongue. ‘I am cast away. I am all alone.’ And I held out my sore hands.” J.M. Coetzee, Foe I have decided to -I have resolved to -I have taken it upon myself to -I have thought it well to I have never -never have I
198 i have never seen I have never seen -I have never encountered I have no idea how -I cannot account for -I can give no account of how I have seen this -this I have seen I have wanted for a lon g time to -I have long wanted to I heard it throu gh the grapevine -I have it on good authority I hope that -it is my hope that I hope this will help -I hope this will be of some help -I hope this information will be of use to I hope you ’ve learned your lesson -let this be a lesson to you I hoped -I was not without hope I just mi ght -I have a mind to I know what it ’s like to -I know what it is to I know what it’s like to be young and foolish. I know what it is to be young and foolish. I know you ver y well -I know you only too well I onl y need to see -I need only see I mean what I sa y -so help me God I mi ght be persuaded -I could take an interest I must admit -truth be told I remember the -I remember well the I replied -I returned I should sa y -I hasten to add I stand here -here I stand [poetic] i still love her -I love her still “Granny died in January, 1942; no one will ever know how much she is present in my thoughts and how much I love her still.” Anne Frank, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl I swear -upon my word I think -in my judgment -I am of the opinion that -to my thinking -it strikes me as -as I see it -I should think -I should imagine -my own feeling is I think , but I’m not entirel y sure -it is ostensibly I think I’ll -I’ve a mind to I thou ght -I reasoned
idolize 199 I thou ght to myself -I figured to myself I was born in -I was born at “I was born at Geneva in 1712, the son of Isaac Rousseau, a citizen of that town, and Susann Bernard, his wife.” Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Confessions I was luck y enou gh to -I had the good luck to “I had the great luck one summer of studying the three-toed sloth in situ in the equatorial jungles of Brazil.” Yann Martel, Life of Pi i was surprised to -I was struck by i will -I will do so I will alwa ys remember -I will long remember I will be the╇╇╇╇ -I will take on the job of ╇╇╇╇ I won ’t -who am I to I would like to -I am happy to -I take genuine pleasure in -I should like to “…my bed is a goal attained at last, it is my consolation and might become my faith if the management allowed me to make a few changes: I should like, for instance, to have the bars built up higher, to prevent anyone from coming too close to me.” Günter Grass, Tin Drum I would never -far be it from me to ╇╇╇╇╇ I would not care if -I would care little if idea -conception -construct -sentiment -abstraction -notion idea I had -an idea I had entertained “Quite inadvertently, I brought myself to tell him about an idea I had now and then entertained. ‘My husband has to be someone who can afford a two-bedroom apartment, since Eeyore will be living with us. And I want to live a quiet life there.’” Kenzaburo Oe, A Quiet Life idea of -prospect of -brainchild of -notion of idea of beaut y -his aesthetic ideal model -exemplar idealistic -quixotic (impractically idealistic) identify -pinpoint -establish -distinguish ideological -doctrinaire {dock-trin-AIR} idiot -troglodyte idolization of -deification of -apotheosis of [academic] {Greek, uh-POTH-ee-OH-sis} idolize -deify
200 if if -should -whether -if presumably -were it “I have taken this subject on a former occasion; and were it left to my own will, I should prefer to repeat it almost every year…” Michael Faraday, The Chemical History of a Candle if an ythin g happens to him -if any harm comes to him -should any harm come to him if I ever held -if I came to hold if I thou ght it would work -if I knew anything would come of it if I wanted to -if I were so inclined -should I be so inclined -had I so willed it if it is true -if it has any truth “The planet Mars, I scarcely need remind the reader, revolves about the sun at a mean distance of 140,000,000 miles, and the light and heat it receives from the sun is barely half of that received by this world. It must be, if the nebular hypothesis has any truth, older than our world; and long before this earth ceased to be molten, life upon its surface must have begun its course.” H. G. Wells, The War of the Worlds if necessar y -if need be if she were to -were she to if there are -if there be [poetic] if the y were also -if they too were if you like this one -if you think well of this one if you sa y so -as you please if you want to -if you like if you were to -were you to iffy -in doubt -open to question ignorant -unenlightened -poorly informed -unacquainted with affairs of the world -uninitiated -uninstructed in “By the year 1536, this nation had been joined by the helpless, needy wretches, unused to dolour, and uninstructed in business, who were turned abroad following the overthrow of the monasteries.” Edith Sitwell, Fanfare for Elizabeth -benighted “Thirty years ago, modern methods of farming, even methods that were modern in the benighted eighteen-nineties, had not penetrated to this thinly settled part of Virginia.” Ellen Glasgow, Barren Ground ignore -dismiss -give short shrift -take little notice of “As soon as a boy asks if he may bicycle home with me and we get into conversation, nine out of ten times I can be sure that he will fall head over heels in love immediately and simply won’t allow me out
immediately 201 of his sight. After a while it cools down of course, especially as I take little notice of ardent looks and pedal blithely on.” Anne Frank, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl -discount -put aside “But neither he nor she can put aside what has happened. The two little boys become presences between them, playing quiet as shadows in a corner of the room where their mother and the strange man couple.” J. €M. Coetzee, Disgrace I’ll bet that -I would go so far as saying illegal -illicit illegal detention lawsuits -habeas corpus suits {Latin, HAY-be-us COR-pus} illegitimate -questionable -of dubious origins illogical conclusion -non sequitur {Latin, non SECK-wuh-tor} illusion -sleight of hand illustrated -exemplified -brought home -served as an example of -embodied I’m aware of -I’m well acquainted with I’m not in a position to [ corporate clich é] -I would rather not image -persona -posture imaginar y -fictitious -fictive -chimerical {ky-MARE-i-cal} imagination -in my mind’s eye imagine -conjure up -envisage -call up -conceived an image in her mind imitation -ersatz -pseudo -so-called -faux {French, foe, lit. false} “A good 96 percent of the Penney’s inventory is made of polyester. The few clothing items that are made of cotton make a sincere point of being cotton and tell you earnestly about their 100-percent cottonness with faux-hand-scribbled labels so obviously on the green bandwagon they practically spit pine cones.” Cintra Wilson, New York Times, Aug. 13, 2009 imitative art -derivative art Her ideas went over well, but they were unoriginal. Her ideas were well-received, if a bit derivative. immediately -there and then -at once “He has always been a man of the city, at home amid a flux of bodies where eros
202 immoral stalks and glances flash like arrows. But this glance between himself and Soraya he regrets at once.” J.M. Coetzee, Disgrace immoral -depraved -profligate immortal -deathless impatient -does not suffer fools gladly -could not endure inaction -chafing at -un-forbearing implied -implicit -told in so many words imply -purport -intimate -color the conversation with importance -import -with an air of gravity important -pressing -of the highest distinction -figure prominently in -worthy of note -deserving special mention -central to -notable -far-reaching -integral -of considerable importance -of some importance -substantive -substantial -of great consequence -no small factor in -consequential -of huge significance -imperative -prominent -pivotal -looms large -crucial to important achievement -significant point of arrival important lesson -affecting lesson important moment -singular moment important person -personage impossible -out of the question -untenable impossible to den y -irrefutable impossible to overcome -insurmountable -insuperable [academic] impossible to satisf y -insatiable impossible to separate -inextricable impossible to stop -inexorable impossible to understand -inscrutable impress -awe -command the respect of impressed with -was taken with impressive -striking -considerable -noteworthy
in agreement with 203 -worthy of note -lofty -imposing -distinguished improper -untoward -unseemly -in poor form improve -make great strides in -shore up -further burnishes the beauty of -bolster improvement -betterment in -within -among -in and among -amid -embodied in -contained in -where it resides -at “He likes giving her presents. At New York he gave her an enameled bracelet, at Eid a little malachite heron that caught his eye in a curio shop. He enjoys her pleasure, which is quite unaffected.” J.M. Coetzee, Disgrace in a bi gger or stron ger wa y -writ large Conceptually speaking, an observatory is nothing more than a very big telescope. Conceptually speaking, an observatory is nothing more than a telescope writ large. in a book -in print in a certain wa y -in a given manner in a livin g bod y (as opposed to a test -tube ) in vivo {Latin, in VEE-voe} in a lon g time -in recent memory in a nut shell -it is, in a word in a test -tube (as opposed to a livin g bod y) -in vitro {Latin, in VEE-troe} in a timel y fashion [corp . clich é] -with deliberate speed -with all deliberate speed -expedited in a trance -catatonic -in a fugue state in a wa y -in some sense in accordance with -pursuant to [formal] in addition -parenthetically -at that -furthermore -for good measure in agreement -of common mind -congruent [academic] in agreement with -in accordance with “The day had gone by just as days go by. I had killed it in accordance with my primitive
204 in an act of and retiring way of life.” Hermann Hesse, Steppenwolf -in keeping with -in sympathy with -in obedience to “She glanced with interest along the new brick and limestone house-fronts, fantastically varied in obedience to the American craving for novelty, but fresh and inviting with their awnings and flower-boxes.” Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth in an act of -in a gesture of in cahoots with -in league with in case you -lest you in char ge of -over which she will preside -preside over -reign -hold court -oversee -command over The agency is in cahoots with the very industry it oversees. The agency is in league with the very industry it oversees. in conclusion -it remains the recommendation that in detail -at length in ever y wa y -in all respects -in every respect -on all counts in existence -extant [academic] in extreme difficult y -in extremis {Latin, in ex-TREEM-is} in fact -in truth in front of you -before you in full -in its entirety -in extenso {Latin, in ex-TEN-so} [academic] in general -as a whole -on the whole -by and large -in the usual course of events in its natural place -in situ {Latin, in SIGH-too} “I had the great luck one summer of studying the three-toed sloth in situ in the equatorial jungles of Brazil.” Yann Martel, Life of Pi in januar y of 1940 -in the January of 1940 [poetic] in line with -accords with in love with -enamored with -taken with “The Utopians wonder how any man should be so much taken with the glaring doubtful luster of a jewel or stone, that can look up to a star, or to the sun himself.” Sir Thomas More, Utopia in man y wa ys -in many respects in mournin g -bereaved in my opinion -to my mind
in the place of 205 in need of -in want of “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice in no wa y are you to -on no account are you to in on -privy to I was not in on the conversation. I was not privy to the conversation. in order for this to occur -to this end in order to -so as to in other countries -abroad in other words -that is to say in our custod y -in our charge in pain -hobbled by pain -pained in passin g -en passant {French, ah pa-SAHn} in response to -in consequence of “I had at one time, when I was thirteen, a very orthodox Swiss tutor, who, in consequence of something I had said, stated with great earnestness: ‘If you are a Darwinian I pity you, for one cannot be a Darwinian and a Christian at the same time.’ I did not then believe in the incompatibility, but I was already clear that, if I had to choose, I would choose Darwin.” Bertrand Russell, On God and Religion in rou gh draft form -roughed out in search of -in pursuance of [academic] in secret -sub rosa in some of the most -in certain of the most in some wa ys -in some respects in spirit -in mindset in spite of -notwithstanding -nonetheless -nevertheless -irrespective of in that crowd -of that crowd in that situation -under those circumstances in the best li ght possible -sympathetically “The artist has treated her sympathetically.” in the end -in the final analysis in the middle of -amid -in the midst of -in the throes of a in the place of -in the stead of [poetic]
206 in the place of a parent in the place of a parent -in loco parentis {Latin, in loco pa-RENT-is} in the presence of -in the face of -at the center of in the real world -in practice in the same wa y -in kind -much as in the state that it ’s in , which is not so good -such as it is in the st yle back then -in the style of the day in the st yle of -à la {French, ah-lah, short for a la mode de, lit. in the manner of} in the wa y it is used -in its application in the wa y the y dressed -in their dress in the world -of all this world “The foremost man of all this world.” Shakespeare on Caesar in the womb -in utero {Latin, in YOU-ter-oh} in their da y -in their day and place “Magnificence, like the size of a fortune, is always comparative, as even Magnificent Lorenzo may now perceive, if he has happened to haunt New York in 1916; and the Ambersons were magnificent in their day and place.” Booth Tarkington, The Magnificent Ambersons in this book -herein in total -all told -en masse -in toto {Latin, in TOE-TOE} in trouble -in some danger -in a compromising position in your best interest to -you have much to gain from -you have little to lose by in your mind -psychosomatic inability -incapacity inactive -hibernating -standing idly by -sedentary -torpid inadequate -falls short of -tinkering around the edges -half-measures inanimate -insentient “Of the few fair complexioned Jewish students in our preponderantly Jewish public high school, none possessed anything remotely like the steep-jawed, insentient Viking mask of this blue-eyed blond born into our tribe as Seymour Irving Levov.” Philip Roth, American Pastoral inappropriate -out of keeping with -untoward -unseemly
indescribably 207 inappropriate humor -facetious {fuh-SEE-shus} -flippant incidentally -parenthetically -as an aside incite -foment -stir the embers inclination (a mere inclination ) -velleity {veh-LEE-uh-tee} “As it happens, her wish to become a marine biologist was no more than another passing velleity.” include -extend to -incorporate -embrace -comprise including -comprising -encompassing -extending from -complete with -replete with -embracing income -means of support incompetent -feckless inconsequential event -dalliance inconspicuous -unobtrusive -nondescript The buildings were plain and average looking. The buildings were nondescript. incorrect -erroneous -flies in the face of increase -bolster -intensify -heighten -expand -augment -accrue -mount to “Man always tends to avoid physical contact with anything strange. In the dark, the fear of an unexpected touch can mount to panic. Even clothes give insufficient security; it is easy to tear them and pierce through to the naked, smooth, defenseless flesh of the victim.” Elias Canetti, Crowds and Power increase (an increase in ) -accession of increasing -mounting -swelling the ranks of incredible -defied description independence -autonomy independent -autonomous -sovereign indescribably -ineffably
208 indestructible indestructible -impregnable -unassailable -impervious -invulnerable indicates -is suggestive of indication of -a clear measure of how -marks a new phase in indifference -insouciance {in-SUE-see-ence} indifferent -perfunctory “He gave me a perfunctory hey-how-yadoin’ as he passed me in the hall.” indirect -roundabout -circuitous -oblique indisputable -incontrovertible -uncontroversial [academic] The facts are the facts. The facts are incontrovertible. individual -singular ineffective -unavailing -feckless ineffective line of defense -a Maginot line {French, MAZH-ih-no} inequalit y -disparity between inexpensive -on the cheap inexperienced -unfledged inferior -subservient -lesser influence (to influence ) -inform the work of -shape -play a part -inspire -impose a more ╇╇╇╇ stamp on -make his imprint clear -make his presence felt -make itself felt -reverberate -spill over -leave its mark -govern the appearance of -find many echoes in influenced by -informed by -wrought by -subject to -absorbed by -fell into the hands of inform -apprise informal expression -colloquialism INFORMED (I AM WELL INFORMED) -I am acquainted with -I am articulate on the subject of -I am schooled in the art of informed (I HAVE BEEN INFORMED) -given to understand that -kept abreast of -kept apprised of
instigate 209 We were informed that participation would be optional. We were given to understand that participation would be optional. inhabitant -denizen of inhaled -drew a deep breath inheritor of -heir to INITIALS -the initialism “The initialism SPQR attested her alle giance to Rome.” inner thou ghts -interior monologue insanity -psychosis -dementia “He is the witness in his death-throws of the immeasurable dementia of the sea, and, tormented by this madness, he hears sounds unknown to man that seem to come from some dreadful place beyond the bounds of earth.” Victor Hugo, Les Miserables insensitive -callous -crass -indelicate insert between -interpose inside -inhabiting -within -internal -inner recesses -innermost insides (guts ) -viscera insignificant -negligible -of little significance “This story at no point becomes my own. I am in it—good heavens, I’m in it to the point of almost never being out of it!—but the story belongs, all of it, to the Carmodys, and my own part, while substantial enough, was never really of any great significance at all.” Edwin O’Connor, The Edge of Sadness insincere -glib -disingenuous insist on respect -stand on one’s dignity inspect -scrutinize inspection -under close scrutiny -under a watchful eye inspire -enkindle inspire her to -inspire in her thoughts of instead -in place of -in the place of -sooner than -in her stead [poetic] -as opposed to -in lieu of {French, lue} -rather than -otherwise instigate -foment
210 instigating instigatin g -incendiary instinctive -visceral -intuitive instinctively understand -intuit instincts -imperatives instruction -tutelage insult (to insult ) -belittle -disparage insult (an insult ) -slight -that was the unkindest cut [Shakespeare] insulting -insolent -pejorative insulting lan gua ge -invective -vitriol -injurious attack insults thrown at me -insults done me “And all at once, though I had remained dry-eyed through all the insults done me on board ship and through the hours of despair when I was alone on the waves with the captain lying dead at my feet, a handspike jutting from his eye-socket, I fell to crying.” J.M. Coetzee, Foe insure -indemnify intellectual elite -literati “At other times, SWAT police awkwardly balanced machine guns outside the restaurant’s doors while military helicopters buzzed overhead—all rather incongruous to the atmosphere that Ms. Garnaut aimed for at her restaurants, where diplomats, power brokers, and literati mingled over Champagne and caviar.” Jen Lin-Liu, New York Times, Oct. 31, 2009 -the illuminati -the intelligentsia intellectual pursuits -cerebral pursuits intellectual, rational , and creative -Apollonian (as opposed to Dionysian) intellectuals -intelligentsia intense understandin g of -intimate knowledge of intensify -heighten the effect -compound intensity -severity interdependent -symbiotic -obliging interest -concern -engage the attention of -vested interest interested in -keen on -taking a close interest in interesting -of interest -compelling -engrossing
involved illegally 211 -likely to be of interest -arresting interests of -preoccupations of interpret -construe -view the issue through the lens of interpretation of -rendition of interrupted -interjected -interposed [academic] interrupted by -punctuated by intervene -intercede intervening resolution -deus ex machina {Latin, deh-oose ex MAHK-in-uh} intimate and private -intime {French, ahn-TEEM} intimidate -buffalo intimidated by it -cowed by it intimidating -daunting -imposing into view -to the fore introduce -unveil introduce into -infuse -inject a dose of introducing -let me direct your attention to introduction -preamble -prelude -exordium [academic] intrude -encroach -trespass on your privacy intruder -interloper intruding -intrusive -invasive invasion -incursion invention -innovation investigation -inquest -inquiry -review invisible -vaporous -ethereal -veiled invites -provides fertile ground for involve -entail -embroil involved -played a key role in -is immersed in -is at the center of -may be a party to -will take part in -will partake in -is a participant in involved ille gall y -complicit
212 involved in an ongoing fight involved in an on goin g fi ght -embattled involvement -what role he may have played irrational, destructive , uninhibited -Dionysian (as opposed to Apollonian) irrelevant -beside the point -neither here nor there -of no consequence It doesn’t matter. It’s of no consequence. irritable -peevish irritate -pique -vex -gall irritating -grating -galling is [consider dropping this word in special circumstances] “Good-bye—if you hear of my being stood up against a Mexican stone wall and shot to rags please know that I think that [ ] a pretty good way to depart this life. It beats old age, disease, or falling down the cellar stairs. To be a Gringo in Mexico—ah, that is euthanasia!” Ambrose Bierce in a letter to his niece Lora -remains -constitutes -is by far -is, if nothing else -as is standard practice when -qualifies as -is proving to be -is subject to -survives -is of course -serves as -has tendencies towards -is that of -finds itself -is of great importance -is the personification of -personifies -is the product of -amounts to no more than -is at once apparent in At least he’s entertaining. He is, if nothing else, entertaining. ╇╇╇╇is a -what is ╇╇╇╇ but a is a lot like -has the more general character of is a si gn of -denotes -indicates is a stor y about -tells the story of is about -concerns itself with is as good as -can take its place alongside is at -stands at is because of -stems from -is owing to -is governed by
is not a battle between 213 is bein g used for -is occupied by “The soil is fertile, the rains plentiful, and a considerable proportion of ground is occupied by cultivation, and amply supplies the wants of the inhabitants.” Winston Churchill, The Story of the Malakand Field Force is both -is at once ╇╇╇╇ and ╇╇╇╇ is called -is known by the name of “…there lies a small market town or rural port, which by some is called Greensburgh, but which is more generally and properly known by the name of Tarry Town.” Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is composed of -comprises is considered -is seen as is destructive -is a destroyer is due to -owes something to is equal to -constitutes is for (is for two weeks ) -provides for “Her itinerary provided for two weeks in Paris, and she had suffered through one week of it when, like an angel from heaven, an Englishman called Tippy Akenside showed up at her hotel at the very moment when she was about to dissolve in tears and book passage home.” Jean Stafford, The Collected Stories of Jean Stafford is for the reader to decide -is left to the reader to decide is found -is to be found is from╇╇╇╇ -is a native of ╇╇╇╇ is goin g to -intends to is gone -gone is the is here -is at hand is important -figures prominently in is in the -lay in the -lies in the is interestin g -is of some interest is it -can it be Is it accepted -does it have currency is luck y (he is luck y) -lucky is he who [poetic] is made up of -is comprised of is much like -it recalls is no lon ger -has ceased to be is no lon ger a fool -is a fool no more is no lon ger accepted -fell out of favor is not a battle between -is a battle not between
214 is not in the “Life—the way it really is—is a battle not between Bad and Good but between Bad and Worse.” Joseph Brodsky is not in the -lies not in the is obvious -is hardly to be questioned is one of -is among is onl y -remains at best no more than is proof of -is testament to is respected -carries great weight is so far the best -is yet unequalled is somewhere in between -lies between the two is still the -remains the is the basis of -underlies is unlimited -is unending -knows no bounds -has no bounds “His arrogance has no bounds by day or night.” Anonymous, Gilgamesh is usuall y at the -can often be found at the isolate -insulate -sequester isolated -insular it -the matter (after looking into the matter) -the thing IT DIDN’T SCARE HIM -it gave him no fear it is a good idea -the idea is appealing it is about time -it was so long in coming it is ama zin g -it is a wonder it is because -it is that “Yet one cannot say with equal certainty just why the difficulty was peculiar to Memphis, unless it is that Memphis, unlike other Tennessee cities, remains to this day a ‘land-oriented’ place.” Peter Taylor, A Summons to Memphis it is important -it bears repeating it is impossible to know -there is no saying it is like -it recalls a certain -it is reminiscent of -it is akin to -it is much the same as -it’s ╇╇╇╇ian it is no use -it is to no avail it is not even part of -it is outside the realm of it is not surprisin g that -it may come as no surprise that it is the responsibilit y of -the onus is on
it would not be good for the 215 it is too bad -more’s the pity -what a pity it is true that -there is no question that -it’s the truth I’m telling you it is up to you -it’s at your discretion IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT -as it happens it makes her cra zy -it gives her fits it no lon ger -it has ceased to it onl y needs to be -it need only be it reminds me of -I am reminded that -it recalls It reminds me of my childhood. It recalls my childhood. it seems -it has an element of -it has a strain of -it strikes me as it seems that -it often appears that -we are left with the impression that it seems that wa y -it seems so it sold for -it brought It took onl y╇╇╇╇╇minutes -it took all of ╇╇╇╇╇ minutes it was╇╇╇╇ -╇╇╇╇ as it was it was a -it made for a it was certain that -certain it was that it was Frida y -the day was Friday it was like her to -it was characteristic of her that “It was characteristic of her that she always roused speculation, that her simplest acts seemed the result of some far-reaching intentions.” Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth it was love at first si ght -she loved right from the first sight [Geoffrey Chaucer] it was named -the name was given “…there lies a small market town or rural port, which by some is called Greensburgh, but which is more generally and properly known by the name of Tarry Town. This name was given, we are told, in former days, by the good housewives of the adjacent country, from the inveterate propensity of their husbands to linger about the village tavern on market days.” Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow it was thou ght -it was held to be certain that it WOULD BE GOOD IF YOU -you would do well to it would have been good if -it would have been well if it would not be good for the -it would not do for the
216 it’s about time it’s about time -it’s high time it’s all I know how to do -I know no other way “I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride; so I love you because I know no other way.” Pablo Neruda it’s good for you -it does one good it’s lo gical -it stands to reason it’s not eas y for me to -I find it difficult to I’ve never understood that -that I’ve never understood “I’m not one of those writers I learned about who get up in the morning, put a piece of paper in their typewriter machine and start writing. That I’ve never understood.” Wole Soyinka Jj jar gon -dialect -vernacular jealous -with jaundiced eye jerk -enfant terrible {French, ahn-fawn tair-EEB-la} jet set -glitterati job -undertaking -pursuit -post -position joined -conjoined joke -farce jokin g -in jest jokin g around -playful banter journe y -sojourn joy of livin g -joie de vivre {French, zhwa duh VEEV-ruh} jud ge (a jud ge) -an arbiter -an umpire “Those who are esteemed umpires of taste are often persons who have acquired some knowledge of admired pictures or sculptures, and have an inclination for whatever is elegant; but if you inquire whether they are beautiful souls, and whether their own acts are like fair pictures, you learn that they are selfish and sensual.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, “The Poet” jud ge them -pass judgment on -render judgment -form assumptions -judge of them jud ged -deemed jud ges (the jud ges ) -the judiciary jud gment -reckoning
justification 217 jud gment da y -day of reckoning -a day you will rue judicial branch of government -the judiciary jump -bound jump in -intervene junk -debris -detritus [academic] jur y is still out on that one -it’s a matter of dispute just -simply just about -nearly just as -just as ╇╇╇╇, if not more so -with the same ferocity it reserves for -is equally well suited for -no less “No less destructive are the insidious ways in which he enables her addiction to painkillers.” just as good as -yields the same in terms of just as impressive -no less impressive is -not less capable than just as much -no less -╇╇╇╇╇ no less just be gun -nascent -incipient -inchoate {in-KOE-it} just deserts -poetic justice just for this purpose -ad hoc just in case you -lest you -if by chance you just in time -heaven sent -a godsend just like -likewise -true of all such -might be mistaken for -in the style of “Reflections on politics, though, take a back seat to the practicalities of surviving on the road and, in the style of Herodotus, collecting dubious bits of lore.” Richard B. Woodward, New York Times, Nov. 1, 2009 just like this -rather like this just shoot me -finish me off entirely why don’t you just the ri ght word -le mot juste {French, lay moe ZHOOST} just to be on the safe side -for good measure justice -an accounting -a reckoning justification -rationale -grounds “You have no grounds for saying so.” -under the banner of -done in the name of
218 justify -on what basis -pretext for -warrant for justif y -account for -warrant -provide a basis for Kk keen -acute -incisive -penetrating keep -retain -hold in abeyance [formal] keep an open mind -leave the door open to keep from -refrain from -forbear from “As for my mother, she taught me to have regard for religion, to be generous and open-handed, and not only to forbear from doing anybody an ill turn, but not so much as to endure the thought of it. By her likewise I was bred to a plain, inexpensive way of living, very different from the common luxury of the rich.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations keep goin g -stop at nothing -persist in -sustain a level of keep in mind -bear in mind keep it awa y -keep it at bay keep it friendl y -remain in good graces keep it to yourself -don’t breathe a word keep quiet -keep your peace -keep your counsel keep watch over -ride herd on kept -retained -preserved kept from it -deprived of it “But when you’re deprived of it for a lengthy period then you value human companionship. But you have to survive and so you devise all kinds of mental exercises and it’s amazing.” Wole Soyinka kept secret -closely held kept silent -he preserved a ╇╇╇╇ silence key -fundamental key to -passport to -instrumental in kick the habit -cure oneself of kid -jest kill -dispatch -slay “Clocks slay time…time is dead as long as it is being clicked off by little wheels; only
know what it’s like to 219 when the clock stops does time come to life.” William Faulkner kill time -while away the hours killed them -claimed more than a thousand lives -felled them all -dealt a fatal blow -made an end of them “Some she pursued over the moors and assailed with her sword, and brightly flashed the blade as she made an end of them.” Halldór Laxness, Independent People killed by -died at the hand of -was slain by kind -the likes of -of that nature -of the ╇╇╇╇╇ persuasion -of a certain bent -a form of -specimen -a species of “Grief, sir, is a species of idleness.” Saul Bellow kind of -to some extent -quasi -pseudo -a ╇╇╇╇ of sorts -something of a kinder -kindlier “A city where American faces were still to be seen upon all its streets, a cleaner and a kindlier town, with more courtesy in its life, less of the vulgar scramble.” Ernest Poole, His Family kindly -benevolent -benign kinds of -modes of -varieties of -species of king -╇╇╇╇╇ rex knew -knew full well knick knack -tchotchke {Yiddish, CHAUCH-kuh} -bric-á-brac {French, BRICK-a-brack} -bauble know -acquainted with -well informed of -mindful of -surprised to find know ahead of time -have foreknowledge of know my wa y around -know my way about know no more than before -be none the wiser She’ll never know. She’ll be none the wiser. know what it ’s like to -know what it is to be “I lost my own father at 12 yr. of age and I know what it is to be raised on lies and silences my dear daughter you are presently too young to understand a word I write but this history is for you and will contain no single lie may I burn in Hell if I speak false.” Peter Carey, True History of the Kelly Gang
220 knowledge knowledge -mastery -sound understanding -learning “There, as it should be, the druggist is a councilor, a confessor, an advisor, an able and willing missionary and mentor whose learning is respected, whose occult wisdom is venerated and whose medicine is often poured, untasted, into the gutter.” O. Henry, “The Love-Philtre of Ikey Schoenstein” knowledgeable about -learned in {LER-ned} -conversant in -erudite {AIR-you-dite} -well informed known as -celebrated as known for -renowned for -widely described as -noted for their Ll labeled -classed as -dismissed as [derogatory] lack -require -are short of -want lack of -dearth of -shortness of -paucity of -scarcity of -want of lacking -wanting -bereft of -deficient in -impoverished -devoid of “And yet when I take a look at my inner identity it impresses me as being precisely the same as it was thirty or forty years ago. My present station, power, the amount of worldly happiness at my command, and the rest of it, seem to be devoid of significance.” Abraham Cahan, The Rise of David Levinski lacking respect -irreverent lacking self -control -intemperate lacking self -confidence -diffident lackluster wish -a velleity {vuh-LEE-uh-tee} lame ar gument -unconvincing argument That’s a lame argument. That’s an unconvincing argument. land -landscape -terrain langua ge -in the parlance of -dialect -in the vernacular -jargon -idiom -prose
law 221 large amount of -wealth of -serious application of “From the freezer she pulled out a bottle and poured herself a serious application of vodka.” Tim Winton, Dirt Music -legion of -preponderance of large area -wide swath -vast region -expanse large group -throng -horde “In this diminished form the words rush out of the cornucopia of my brain to course over the surface of the world, tickling reality like fingers on piano keys. They’re an invisible army on a peacekeeping mission, a peaceable horde.” Jonathan Lethem, Motherless Brooklyn large si ze -mammoth proportions -some size -considerable larger -than -life -of epic proportions -Homeric {home-AIR-ik} last line of defense -thin red line last performance of her career -her swan song last stand -my Thermopylae {Greek, thir-MOP-uh-lee} last straw -the drop of water that makes the glass run over -all I can bear lasting -abiding -enduring lasting a lon g time -protracted -prolonged late -belated -late in arriving -slow to “It happened at the end of winter, in a year when the poppies were strangely slow to shed their petals; for mile after mile, from Benares onwards, the Ganga seemed to be flowing between twin glaciers, both its banks being blanketed by thick drifts of white-petalled flowers.” Amitav Ghosh, Sea of Poppies lately -of late -in recent years later╇╇╇╇ -╇╇╇╇s of later date latest fad -╇╇╇╇ du jour {French, du ZHOOR, lit. of the day} “Drilling for off-shore oil became the Republican cause du jour of 2008.” -dernier cri {French, den-yay CREE} laugh all you want -think what you will of it laughter -mirth [poetic] -cackling -hilarity law -jurisprudence -rule of law -body of law
222 law (a law) law (a law ) -an injunction -an ordinance -a statute layers (in thick la yers ) -impasto {Italian, im- PASS- toe} [art world] laziness -indolence lazy -indolent -in a persistent vegetative state -torpid -languid lead -spearhead lead up -prelude “Theatergoers who use plays as moodsetting preludes to romantic evenings had better look elsewhere. ‘Quartett,’ which opened Wednesday night and runs through Nov. 14, may well be the sexually frankest play in New York this side of a backroom peephole. But with a cast led by the formidable French actress Isabelle Humpert in a magnificently mannered performance, it is the very opposite of an aphrodisiac.” Ben Brantley, New York Times, Nov. 6, 2009 leader -pacesetter -standard bearer leaders -the vanguard -captains “But the truck moved on and the limits of mere privilege became visible, for here now came the acres of truly prestigious death; illustrious men and women, captains of life without their diamonds, furs, carriages, and limousines, but buried in pomp and glory, vaulted in great tombs built like heavenly safe deposit boxes, or parts of the Acropolis.” William J. Kennedy, Ironweed leading -foremost leading ed ge -in the vanguard of lean TO ONE SIDE -list learn -glean -gather -acquire an understanding of -familiarize oneself with -unearth -stumble upon -increase your knowledge beyond -gain a better understanding of leave -tear myself away -exit stage left -depart from -quit -go forth from here [poetic] leave alone -leave undeterred -let play out -let him be -let run its course -left to her own devices -let him have a moment’s peace lecture (a self -ri ghteous lecture ) -a diatribe -a sermon -a treatise {TREAT-is} leeway -latitude left -withdrew
lesson not learned 223 -parted -parted from -departed “In early times, say the Icelandic chronicles, men from the Western Islands came to live in this country, and when they departed, left behind them crosses, bells, and other objects used in the practice of sorcery.” Halldór Laxness, Independent People left for -set out leftover from -remnant of -trace of -relic of -residual -residue legal -forensic -judicial legal action -adjudication legend -lore “Reflections on politics, though, take a back seat to the practicalities of surviving on the road and, in the style of Herodotus, collecting dubious bits of lore.” Richard B. Woodward, New York Times, Nov. 1, 2009 legend has it that -it is said that legitimac y -credence legitimate -well-founded -well-established -sound legitimate ar gument -sound argument length -measure -span length of time -in the space of lengthened (time ) -prolonged -protracted length y -interminable -without end -ad infinitum {Latin, add in-fih-NIGHT-um} -ad nauseam {Latin, add NAUS-ee-um} lenient with -indulgent towards less -fewer in number less offensive -more palatable less reckless -a more measured approach Let’s be less reckless in the future. Let’s take a more measured approach. less than -fewer in number lesson learned -cautionary tale lesson not learned -lesson not fully absorbed
224 let let -enable -play host to -perpetuate You continue to let him be offensive. You continue to play host to his offensive behavior. let go of -relinquish -cease to hold to them “His sentiments are, he is aware, complacent, even uxorious. Nevertheless he does not cease to hold to them.” J.M. Coetzee, Disgrace let go of my hand -let go my hand let it be known -it should be noted that let me think for a minute -let me collect my thoughts letter (a written messa ge) -a missive letter had been sent to -letter had gone off to lewd -prurient liberal -catholic tastes -Gladstonian lie (a lie ) -a contrivance -an artifact -a fabrication -a fiction lie (to lie ) -to be less than forthcoming -to be disingenuous -to be economical with the truth -to fabricate -to be less than candid -to speak false “I lost my own father at 12 yr. of age and I know what it is to be raised on lies and silences my dear daughter you are presently too young to understand a word I write but this history is for you and will contain no single lie may I burn in Hell if I speak false.” Peter Carey, True History of the Kelly Gang life and death issues -existential issues life is meanin gless -nihilism {NIE-uh-li-zum, nie as in Nile} lighthearted -breezy -blithe like (i like it ) -I welcome it -is it to your liking -it resonates with me -I’m leaning towards the view -it has found favor among -I find her agreeable -I favor -I have an affinity for -it was well received -they are responding well to the -it appeals to many -I’m partial to -I have an affection for -I’m fond of -I took pleasure in -I was taken with her -she speaks well of him -there’s something to be said for like all -as with all
liked by 225 like (similar ) -recalls a certain -much like -reminiscent of -marked by “His movements were marked by the lizard’s disconcertingly abrupt clockwork speed; his speech was thin, fluty, and dry.” Aldous Huxley, Chrome Yellow -akin to -much the same as -it’s ╇╇╇╇ian -has the character of -calls to mind -reflects -captures the elegance of -epitomizes -is suggestive of “He is in shirt sleeves, with a vest figured with faded gold horseshoes, and a pinkstriped shirt, suggestive of peppermint candy.” Upton Sinclair, The Jungle -conveys -evokes -is akin to -reminds me of nothing so -rather like -along the lines of -bears a resemblance to -bears the stamp of -is not dissimilar to -is in the nature of -is analogous to -corresponds with -is in the manner of -is characteristic of -it’s not my nature to -is typical of -is evocative of -is similar to that of -is an echo of -as “The walls are cracked and water runs upon them in thin threads without sound, black and glistening as blood.” Ayn Rand, Anthem -is in the form of -as expressed in -such as one might expect from -in a way that suggests -much as -of the sort -with the air of -wore the stamp of *Consider dropping “like” altogether: “The young man reveres men of genius, because, to speak truly, they are more [ ] himself than he is.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, “The Poet” like he did -as he did like I said -as I said like in -as in like never before -in memorable fashion like these -along these lines like this -of this kind like to -take pleasure in like you -as you are “He was fair, as you are, but not as tall but with large hands and a broken nose.” Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls liked by -appeals to
226 liked to liked to -was in the habit of -took pleasure in -was given to likelihood -promise “I don’t think about the family much, but when I remember its members and the coast where they lived and the sea salt that I think is in our blood, I am happy to recall that I am a Pommeroy—that I have the nose, the coloring, and the promise of longevity—and that while we are not a distinguished family, we enjoy the illusion, when we are together, that the Pommeroys are unique.” John Cheever, The Stories of John Cheever likely successor -heir apparent likely to be -disposed to -prone to -given to -inclined to -liable to be likes to -is quick to -is given to -is a practitioner of -is so fond of studying likes to come across as -likes to portray himself as -fancies herself a limber -supple -lithe limit -curtail -frame it as narrowly as possible -confine ourselves to the study of -qualify -constrain limitations -constraints -strictures -proscriptions [academic] -bounds “He is the witness in his death-throws of the immeasurable dementia of the sea, and, tormented by this madness, he hears sounds unknown to man that seem to come from some dreadful place beyond the bounds of earth.” Victor Hugo, Les Miserables limited -measured -narrow -only so much -to the extent that it does exist -sparing in the use of limited in appeal -esoteric limited to -peculiar to limiting factor -determinant limitless -unbounded -knows no bounds Your ambition is limitless. Your ambition knows no bounds. limits -bounds -confines -verges -periphery line -queue -procession “She had seen the fish clearly from above and his length and the shine of him in the water and her husband with the bamboo
location 227 pole bent almost double and the procession of people following.” Ernest Hemingway, Garden of Eden line between -demarcation lined up -queued lion-like -leonine {LEE-uh-nine} liquor -spirits list (to list ) -enumerate -reel off -spell out -catalog listen -take note -give audience to lit the candle -lighted the candle lit up -illuminated -bathed in light literal meanin g of a word -denotation -lexical meaning little known -undistinguished live a lon g time -long-lived live in -inhabit -dwell in live your life -make your way in life lived up to his reputation -lived up to his billing lively -vibrant -buoyant livestock -beasts “As always, we continued to grow more crops and beasts than we needed, and exchanged these with other near planets for their surpluses.” Doris Lessing, The Making of the Representative for Planet 8 living in -dwelling in -abiding in loaded with -laden with -fraught with loaned to us by -on loan from lobbyists -the Gucci gulch local -insular -indigenous -native-born -ambient -parochial -topical -provincial local lan gua ge -vernacular located (is located ) -it bears due south located in -centered in location -whereabouts -locale
228 lock up lock up -detain locked (it locked ) -locked against him “He rushed to the door but to his amazement it was locked against him.” Sebastian Barry, The Secret Scripture London press -Fleet Street long -prolonged -protracted -ongoing -longstanding -lengthy We’re trying to avoid a long legal battle. We’re trying to avoid a protracted legal battle. long ago -days of yore -in antiquity -long since -in early times “In early times, say the Icelandic chronicles, men from the Western Islands came to live in this country, and when they departed, left behind them crosses, bells, and other objects used in the practice of sorcery.” Halldór Laxness, Independent People long dinner table (like in Harr y Potter ) -refectory table long lastin g -enduring -long standing -abiding long time -for a long while -a lengthy period longer period of existence -longer measure of existence long-winded -prolix look -behold -never lose sight of look around -look about look at -consider -address -take up a central question -eye -set my gaze on -distinguish “And so, plainly, we must distinguish plots not by their skeletons but by their full bodies; for they are embodiments, little worlds. Here is another: let us try to distinguish it as if it were literally a little world, and spinning closely now into our vision.” Eudora Welty, On Writing look back at the career of -a retrospective look down on -treat with disdain look far and wide -cast a wide net look for (ask for ) -inquire about look for (search for ) -pursue look like -resemble -recall
looking for trouble 229 -bear a resemblance to -have every appearance of The Shroud of Turin looks like a photographic negative. The Shroud of Turin bears a striking resemblance to a photographic negative. look of (a look of ) -an air of look on her face -expression -visage look over -scrutinize looked -bore the look of -looked to be looked at -looked upon -gazed -eyes rested upon -fixed my gaze looked at all of us again -he looked us round again looked at me -met my eyes looked at me as thou gh -regarded me as “‘Agua,’ I said, trying Portuguese, and made a sign of drinking. He gave no reply, but regarded me as he would a seal or a porpoise thrown up by the waves, that would shortly expire and then be cut up for food.” J.M. Coetzee, Foe looked awa y -took his eyes from me -averted her eyes looked youn g -she preserved the appearance of youth looking ╇╇╇╇╇ -wearing an air of “She stood apart from the crowd, letting it drift by her to the platform or the street, and wearing an air of irresolution which might, as he surmised, be the mask of a very definite purpose.” Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth looking at -all eyes were fixed upon -fixing his eyes intently on her -casting a keen eye over looking back -in retrospect looking down -cast down “Her being seemed composed of shadow, with too little substance for it to possess sex. It was a shred of matter harboring a light, with large eyes that were always cast down; a pretext for a soul to linger on earth.” Victor Hugo, Les Miserables looking elsewhere -attention shifting to looking for -in search of -out for -trolling for -in pursuit of -in want of “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice looking for reven ge -determined on revenge looking for trouble -making mischief
230 looks “It was the jackal—Tabaqui the Dishlicker—and the wolves of India despise Tabaqui because he runs about making mischief, and telling tales, and eating rags and pieces of leather from the village rubbish-heaps.” Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book looks -gives the eye “The rice fields along both banks of the stream display a broad, winding strip of vivid green, which gives the eye its only relief from the somber colours of the mountains.” Winston Churchill, The Story of the Malakand Field Force looks like -looks to be lose momentum -falter loser -an also-ran losers get nothin g -vae victis {Latin, why WICK-tees} losing mone y quickl y -hemorrhaging loss of memor y -defect of memory “Here is what I have done, and if by chance I have used some immaterial embellishment it has been only to fill a void due to a defect of memory. I may have taken for fact what was no more than probability, but I have never put down as true what I knew to be false.” Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Confessions lost -shed lost cause -fool’s errand lost focus on -lost attention for lost him -lost sight of him lot of land -parcel loud -clamorous -raucous -vociferous -resounding loud and clear -clarion loud noise -yammer -din loud-voiced -full-throated love -relish -treasure love for humanit y -agape {Greek, uh-GAH-pay} love her to death -love her to distraction love to -delight in You love it that I’m tormented. You delight in my torment. loved -beloved low-necked (of a garment showin g cleava ge) -décolleté {French, day-kol-TAY}
lying down [of statues or sculptures] 231 low-paid -ill-paid low point -a low ebb low profile (keep a low profile ) -be inconspicuous -be nondescript low class -lowbrow -ill-bred -downscale lower classes -lower orders -hoi polloi lower end -nether end LOWER LEVELS -lower reaches -lower echelons lowers himself to -condescends to “The spirit of the occasion takes hold of the stately bartender, who condescends to a plate of stewed duck; even the fat policeman—whose duty it will be, later in the evening, to break up the fights—draws up a chair to the foot of the table.” Upton Sinclair, The Jungle loyal -stalwart luck -providence luckily -as luck would have it lucky enou gh to -privileged to “Those privileged to be present at a family festival of the Forsytes have seen that charming and instructive sight—an upper middle-class family in full plumage.” John Galsworthy, Forsyte Saga lucky find -a chance find -fortuitous lukewarm -tepid lunch -the noon dinner [poetic] “The fire on the kitchen hearth was dying down. His mother was hanging up pots and pans after the noon dinner.” Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, The Yearling lurk -lie in wait -skulk lustful -salacious -lecherous luxuries -creature comforts -amenities luxurious -opulent luxurious place -a Xanadu {ZAN-uh-doo} luxur y -indulgence -opulence luxur y-lovin g -hedonistic -self-indulgent -epicurean lyin g down [of statues or sculptures ] -recumbent statues
232 lying face down lyin g face down -prostrate Mm machine -contrivance made -produced -rendered -crafted made a fool of himself -has exposed himself to ridicule You will make a fool out of yourself. You will expose yourself to ridicule. made a point to -was careful to made a remark -put it by “He put it by without the slightest hint of anger.” made aware of -attuned to made by local craftsmen -the work of local craftsmen made famous -popularized made her even more -rendered her even more made her feel good -cheered her made her sick -afflicted her made him a hero -made a hero of him made him look bad -did not reflect well on him made it go awa y -dispelled -dispersed made it known -had it given out “She carried his bones home to her scaffold, but the flesh and the bowels she left behind for the ravens, and had it given out in the district that he had perished while searching the mountains for sheep that had strayed.” Halldór Laxness, Independent People made of -composed of “Her being seemed composed of shadow, with too little substance for it to possess sex. It was a shred of matter harboring a light, with large eyes that were always cast down; a pretext for a soul to linger on earth.” Victor Hugo, Les Miserables -comprised of -the stuff of -of brick made public (was made public ) -was disclosed made respectable -lent respectability to made sense -was intelligible to “No one had hazarded to discover whether the speech of the known empires, khanates, emirates, hordes and kingdoms was intelligible to him.” Michael Chabon, Gentlemen of the Road
majority beliefs (voice of the people) 233 made to fit him -made to his measure made up -a contrivance -contrived -apocryphal -pure invention -wholesale falsification -fictitious -dubious -spurious That’s a made up lie. That’s pure invention. made up for -atoned for made up of -comprised of made up stories -apocryphal tales -fabrications made white -whited madhouse situation -theater of the absurd mafia boss -padrone magical -phantasmagoric main -dominant -leading -principal -foremost main ar gument -core argument main character -protagonist main event -pièce de resistance {French, pee-ESS duh ruh-zee-STANCE} main part -brunt of mainly -primarily -largely -predominantly -in large measure -in the main -principally maintain (declare ) -aver “The defendant was said to aver innocence on all counts.” majestic -august {au-GUST} major -concentration in -academic specialty “He had graduated from Princeton in 1941 with high marks in all subjects except mathematics and sciences. His academic specialty had been comparative literature. But his real career at Princeton had consisted of playing the piano and inventing bright little songs for parties and shows.” Herman Wouk, The Caine Mutiny major chan ge -tectonic shift -marked changes majorit y -lion’s share of -preponderance of majorit y beliefs (voice of the people ) -vox populi {Latin, vox POP-you-lie}
234 make make -render -leave make (force ) -compel to make a bi g deal about -make much of “Many seaside towns make much of their location. Their shops are gussied up with nautical décor—rigging, buoys, mounted fish—and their restaurants often have the word ‘captain’ in the name.” Sarah Maslin Nir, New York Times, Oct. 29, 2009 make a deal -broker a deal make a good livin g -get a good living “They did get a good living regularly, even in times when stock-raisers elsewhere were wearing patched clothes, shooting homereloaded cartridges, and making biscuits out of hand-pounded wheat.” Harold Lenoir Davis, Honey in the Horn make a name for herself -make her mark make a scene -make an exhibition of oneself -throw off all appearance of decorum make amends for -atone for make an impression -impress upon make an gry -infuriate -rouse the ire of make clear -leave little doubt make dinner -rustle something up make ever ybod y mad -set off a furor make friends -forge a close bond -befriend -ingratiate -curry favor -find favor among -make acquaintances make fun of -poke fun at -make light of -caricature -ridicule make go awa y -ward off make her cr y -reduce her to tears make her feel sorr y -reduce her to repentance “Already he was polishing a few carefully worded accusations designed to reduce his mother to repentance or, at least, confusion. He often had to keep her in her place.” John Kennedy Toole, A Confederacy of Dunces make her mad -incur her displeasure make him -compel him MAKE ILLEGAL -proscribe [academic] -disallow -forbid make impossible -preclude
make the point 235 Your employment at this company makes it impossible for you to take part in the sweepstakes. Your employment at this company precludes you from taking part in the sweepstakes. make inferior -adulterate make it -render it make it clear -provide clear indications make it more like -bring it more into line with make it seem -characterize it as make it worse -exacerbate make it your business -insinuate yourself into make known -disclose -convey -divulge -impart -bring to light -air “His own opinion, which he does not air, is that the origins of speech lie in song, and the origins of song in the need to fill out with sound the overlarge and rather empty human soul.” J.M. Coetzee, Disgrace make laws -enact legislation -sponsor a bill make less severe -mitigate make myself useful -make myself of some use make necessar y -necessitate make no mistake -to be sure make possible -render possible make reservations -book passage make room for -accommodate make sacred -consecrate make sure -see that -take pains to see that -make it my business to make suspicious -cast a veil of suspicion over -excite the suspicions of make the most of -leverage make the point -stress that -advance the point “I don’t say any of this because I’m interested in family history or because this sense of uniqueness is deep or important to me but in order to advance the point that we are loyal to one another in spite of our differences, and that any rupture in this loyalty is a source of confusion and pain.” John Cheever, The Stories of John Cheever
236 make things worse make thin gs worse -further compound -exacerbate make us think of -call to mind -evoke -summon up images of -recall make you feel guilt y -accuse the conscience “If the more sensitive among those she served or addressed failed to look at Rose, it was because her manner seemed to accuse the conscience, or it could have been, more simply, that they were embarrassed by her hair lip.” Patrick White, Voss make you reali ze -dispel the notion that -disabuse you of the notion that make you seem -cast you as make you understand -impress upon you make your wa y throu gh -navigate -negotiate makes a point to -is careful to -pointedly avoids makes me -compels me makes me feel -leaves me “It leaves me wanting more.” makes sense -is a coherent argument -stands to reason makes you feel good inside -it’s very heartening making friends -befriending -glad handing making fun of -jesting banter at -mocking making no difference -tilting at windmills making the rounds -circulating man behind the curtain (or throne ) -éminence grise {French, ay-mee-nahs GREEZ} man of few words -laconic “He’s so laconic it’s a little creepy.” manage without -dispense with managed by -syndicated to management of -stewardship of maneuver -gambit manipulate -orchestrate mankind [archaic ] -humankind manner -air of -bearing -demeanor -presence
maybe even 237 manners -decorum -deportment -social niceties many -any number of -innumerable -untold numbers of -wealth of -host of -considerable -goodly number of -fair amount of -hordes of -legions of -profuse -abundant -multitudes of -many a “Many a true word is spoken in jest.” Geoffrey Chaucer many different kinds of -all manner of many reasons -competing reasons many times -on numerous occasions march (a march ) -a procession march on -forge ahead mark off -circumscribe -demarcate married -wed master -impresario masterpiece -tour de force {French, tour de FORCE} match -correspond match it to -pair it to matchless -inimitable -incomparable materialistic -acquisitive maturing -coming of age maximum amount -its capacity may -may be compelled to -appears to have may be (it ma y be ) -it may well be may end up bein g -may prove to be It may end up being your undoing. It may prove to be your undoing. maybe -perhaps -weather permitting [humorous] maybe a little -somewhat -in part -to some degree -to some extent “Perhaps to some extent, but I think her judicial decisions are based less on politics than on natural justice.” maybe even -if not
238 me? Me? -Moi? {French, mwah, lit. me} (often as an ironic reply to an accusation) “Chauvinistic? Moi?” me as I reall y am -me in the rough me neither -neither do I meaningful -appreciable -substantive meaningless -academic -moot -merely decorative -mere embellishment meaningless messa ges -white noise means nothin g to me -is of no consequence to me -is a matter of complete indifference to me means that -raises concerns that -carries with it the possibility that means well -is well intentioned -is well intended mean-spirited -caustic -ignoble {ig-KNOW-bul} -blood-drawing meant for -caters to -intended for meant to -was by design -was aimed at -intended to be so -was consciously chosen It’s supposed to be that way. It’s that way by design. meat-eater -carnivore meat-eatin g -carnivorous media -the fourth estate mediate -conciliate -intercede mediator -intermediary medicine -elixir meditating -absorbed in thought meet -fulfill -satisfy meet for the first time -make the acquaintance of meet her -receive her [formal] meeting -encounter meeting between two oppos - in g sides -a parley meeting-place (secret ) -a place of assignation melt down -render
meticulous 239 melting of glacial ice -ablation melting pot -ethnic stew member -member in good standing -charter members of memorize -register in your mind -commit to memory memory -remembrance -recollection men’s fashion -sartorial conventions mental concept -precept mental disorder -dementia -neurosis -psychosis mental perception -ken mentally disturbed -pathological mention -allude to -make mention of menu -bill of fare mercy -clemency mere be ginnin gs of -rudiments of merge -coalesce mergin g -confluent mesmerized -enthralled -spellbound -transfixed mess -this disorder “Everybody had washed before going to bed, apparently, and the bowls were ringed with a dark sediment which the hard, alkaline water had not dissolved. Shutting the door on this disorder, he turned back to the kitchen, took Mahailey’s tin basin, doused his face and head in cold water, and began to plaster down his wet hair.” Willa Cather, One of Ours messenger -intermediary -emissary -consul -attaché -internuncio met -made the acquaintance of [formal] metaphor -trope -conceit method -mechanism -vehicle -mode -modus operandi {Latin, MODE-us op-er-AND-ee} -modality [academic] -means -approach meticulous -exacting -fastidious
240 mid nineteenth century mid nineteenth centur y -the middle years of the nineteenth century middle ages -antiquity middle class -bourgeois {French, boor-ZHWAH} middle of summer -height of summer middle of the ni ght -into the small hours of the night middleman -intermediary midnight -in the midnight hour [poetic] might have -is thought to have might have been -might have proved “I took up my coat and carpet-bag, and went into the next room to change my linen, and dress for dinner. Any distress at the termination of my intrigue with Betty was amply compensated for by my joy at the happy ending of a troublesome affair which might have proved fatal for me.” Jacques Casanova, Volume 6c—Rome: The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova mild -temperate miles and miles -league upon league “He could not make out even the black ground in front of him, and he was aware of the vast, flat horizon only from the March wind blowing in broad, sweeping gusts as though across a sea, bitterly cold after its passage over league upon league of marsh and bare earth.” Emile Zola, Germinal militaristic lan gua ge -martial language “Like many talk-show hosts, he [Limbaugh] uses martial language to rouse the faithful: ‘The enemy camp is the White House right now,’ he says.” Evan Thomas and Eve Conant, “Hate.” Newsweek, April 19th, 2010 mind reader -clairvoyant mindless -vacuous minimal -nominal minimum amount needed -critical mass minor -of minor status minor disa greement -differ only on the margins We don’t disagree that much on this issue. We differ only on the margins. minor events -small happenings misbehavior -impropriety miscellaneous collection -an olio {OH-lee-oh} [academic] mischievous -impish -cheeky -puckish mischievousness -devilry -diablerie {French, dee-AH-blu-ree} -villainy
modest 241 misinterpret -misconstrue missing -conspicuous by its absence -bereft of -gone missing mistakes -lapses in “Month after month he sets, collects, reads, and annotates their assignments, correcting lapses in punctuation, spelling and usages, interrogating weak arguments, appending to each paper a brief, considered critique. J. €M. Coetzee, Disgrace -miscues -miscalculations -improprieties of “Alexander the Grammarian taught me not to be ruggedly critical about words, nor find fault with people for improprieties of phrase or pronunciation, but to set them right by speaking the thing properly myself, and that either by way of answer, assent, or inquiry, or by some such other indirect and suitable correction.” Marcus Aurelius, Meditations mixed feelin gs -ambivalent -of two minds mixed with -laced with mixture -miscellany -collage of -potpourri of -hodgepodge of -mélange {French, may-LONZH} mocking -derisive -dismissive mocking of Christianit y -how many divisions has the Pope mocking of societ y -Swiftian “In a Swiftian mood, Foer even throws in a Filipino recipe for ‘Stewed Dog, Wedding Style.’ ‘Can’t we get over our sentimentality?’ he asks. ‘Dogs are plentiful, good for you, easy to cook and tasty, and eating them is vastly more reasonable than going through all the trouble of processing them into protein bits to become the food for the other species that become our food.’” Jennifer Schuessler, New York Times, Nov. 13, 2009 mode of transportation -conveyance model -paradigm -held her up as template for -an exemplar model of perfection -paragon of moderate (to moderate ) -mitigate -temper moderate in eatin g and drinkin g -temperate in diet -abstemious [academic] moderates -centrists moderation -temperance modern -nouveau {French, new-VOH} modest -unassuming -without ceremony -self-effacing {uh-FAY-sing} -demure
242 moment of insight moment of insi ght -epiphany momentary -fleeting money (wealth ) -wherewithal -means money spent -expenditures -outlays monk -an ascetic monopoly -cartel monotone (to speak in a monotone voice ) -intone months and months -months on end mood (collective mood ) -atmosphere of -ambiance -color -with an air of -with a note of -with distinct ╇╇╇ undertones -flavor -aura -prevailing winds mood (individual mood ) -frame of mind -temper moody -capricious -mercurial moral defect -blemish -failing moral weakness -human frailty moralistic -didactic moralizin g -edifying -sanctimonious -sententious [academic] morally la x -dissolute -licentious more -all the more -further more╇╇╇╇╇than normal -more ╇╇╇╇ than was his custom more accurate -nearer the truth more appropriate for -better suited for more carefull y -with greater care more important -takes precedence more like╇╇╇╇than╇╇╇╇ -more worthy of ╇╇╇╇ than ╇╇╇╇ -nearer to more serious -carries more weight than more specific -narrower notion of more than -better than “There are better than twenty in every batch.” -more so than